Buried-heterostructure (BH) laser diodes were fabricated using both molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). MBE was used to grow the active region and the p-type cladding and contact structures while MOCVD was used for the Fe-doped, blocking layer structures. Using this method, devices were fabricated which showed good performance over the temperature range of -20-85 degrees C. Devices were demonstrated at several wavelengths including 1550 and 1610 nm. Room temperature operation of the unpackaged 1610 nm devices, with coated facets, demonstrated threshold currents as low as 6 mA and efficiencies of 0.3 mW/mA. The same devices operating at 85 degrees C showed threshold currents as low as 22 mA and efficiencies of 0.2 mW/mA. Coaxial, fiber pigtailed devices consistently demonstrated OC-48 dispersion power penalties of less than 1.5 dB for fiber spans of 100 km. Preliminary device reliability shows minimal degradation. TO-56 packaged devices operating at a constant power of 6 mW at 90 degrees C for over 4000 h have shown a maximum of 3% increase in operating current. The performance and excellent reliability of these devices indicate that this method can be used for the low-cost manufacture of BH distributed feedback lasers. (C) 2008 American Vacuum Society.